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SALES
AND MARKETING /
SCORE CARD
Economic
Diversification in Botswana
By
John Moreti
When
the President of The Republic of
Botswana, H.E. Mr. Festus Mogae,
brought a team that included 25
business representatives to the
U.S.-Africa Business Summit, he
was pursuing his country's
objective of developing business
partnerships between Botswana and
the United States. The Botswana
team is keen to build on the
success of the Summit. They are
eager to translate the
relationships established during
the Summit into concrete business
transactions. The Summit's theme
"Building Partnerships" fits well
with Botswana's efforts to
diversify economic activity away
from diamond mining to include
opportunities in manufacturing,
financial services, tourism and
information
technology.
Botswana
enjoys all the advantages of duty
and tariff free export to the
United States and the European
Union. The country is land-locked
but sits comfortably in the heart
of Southern Africa. The market
size of the Southern African
Development Community (SADC)
region is an estimated 200
million people. Botswana's
membership in the Southern
African Customs Union (SACU),
soon to conclude a free trade
agreement with the United States,
offers opportunities for
investors seeking to locate and
enjoy the benefits of free
trade.
Photos.
Cultural Tourism is a key
potential contributor to
Botswana's economy.
Botswana
Export Development and Investment
Authority (BEDIA), Botswana
International Financial Services
Center (IFSC) and Botswana
Development Corporation (BDC) are
three of the key players waiting
to receive, assist and partner
with investors. Whether it is
fruit juice processing, leather
tanning, shoe making, glass
manufacturing, diamond cutting
and polishing, soap or apparel
manufacturing, and or last but
not least electrical goods and
spare parts for motor vehicles,
investors stand to benefit from a
low corporate tax rate of only
15%. This 15% rate will also be
enjoyed by those investing in the
Botswana International Financial
Services Centre until June
2020.
The
highest income tax bracket pays
only 25%, and the corporate tax
rate levied on non-manufacturing
enterprises is the same. Those
who have invested in Botswana
recognize the advantages of this
low rate and will quickly tell
you the benefits it offers
compared to other places to
invest.
Factors
account for the confidence
investors should have in Botswana
include
•
The political stability that has
reigned since Botswana became
independent in 1966;
•
The fiscal and monetary
discipline of the
government;
•
The absence of foreign exchange
controls;
•
The highest standards of
transparency in government, the
non-governmental and corporate
sectors (Transparency
International and the World
Economic Forum have assessed and
recorded this fact);
•
A sovereign "A" credit rating
awarded by both Moody's Investor
Services and Standards and
Poor;
•
Modern and reliable
telecommunications infrastructure
and a wide variety of leisure
facilities; and
•
Excellent medical care facilities
and well respected educational
institutions at all
levels.
These
are just some of the features
that make Botswana an attractive
place to invest. We in Botswana
also understand that all work and
no leisure may not be a good
balance. That is why the
government is actively promoting
Botswana's wilderness experience
to the international traveler.
The concentration of wildlife
species, the unique landscape of
desert and delta, and rich
cultural heritage areas make
Botswana a first class vacation
destination.
During
President Bush's recent visit to
Africa, the coverage focused
mostly on Liberia and HIV/AIDS
issues. No government, especially
Botswana's, can deny the threat
posed by the AIDS pandemic. That
is why our offensive program
against the disease, bolstered by
our partnerships with the U.S.
private sector, notably the Merck
& Company, Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation and the Harvard
Aids Institute, is creating hope
for a better future, for Botswana
and the rest of Africa. The power
generated by commercial activity
in the many sectors to which
Botswana is looking for
diversification can translate
this hope into sustainable
prosperity for the people of
Botswana. U.S. capital can play
an integral role in achieving
this goal.
For
more information on business
opportunities in Botswana readers
are advised to visit the
following websites:
1.
Botswana Export Development &
Investment Authority (BEDIA),
www.bedia.co.bw
2.
Botswana Development Corporation
(BDC). www.bdc.bw
3.
Embassy of the Republic of
Botswana. www.botswanaembassy.org
4.
International Financial Services
Center. www.ifsc.co.bw
5.
For general knowledge about the
country please visit Botswana
Tourism page at www.botswana.tourism.org
We
are all waiting to expedite your
business move to
Botswana.
John
Moreti is Counsellor at the
Embassy of Botswana in
Washington, D.C
MARKETING
PANEL MAY 2003
"Marketing
Zambia as a Prime Tourism
Destination" will be the topic of
the Congress agenda. An important
part of this topic will be "How
to Market to the United States
Consumer".
This will be a marketing panel
moderated by Gaynelle
Henderson-Bailey, First
Vice-President of ATA. The
panelists will consist of U. S. -
based ATA chapter presidents.
Since the marketing presentation,
delivered by the panel in
Cameroon, 2001, was so well
received, the Committee for the
Annual Congress agreed that the
same presentation be delivered in
Zambia. Following are the topics
that were discussed during that
presentation:
·
Definition of
Marketing
·
Destination Marketing
·
Tourism Research
·
Tourism Marketing: The P's
(Product, Price, Place (also
called distribution),
Promotion)
·
Tourism Marketing: The Marketing
Plan
·
Tourism Marketing: Creating and
Utilizing a Visitor
Profile
·
Public Relations in
Tours
1.
Press Trips
2.
Special Events
Each
chapter president take on one of
the above topics. In addition,
Jerry Bird will present the
importance of the ATA website as
an example of an important aspect
of marketing.
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